Jerry Plantz: Climate change needs attention

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its annual climate report card, and if you are a climate skeptic then it behooves you to go to the agency’s website and be informed.

By Jerry Plantz

Examiner

By Jerry Plantz

Posted Jan. 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 16, 2013 at 3:05 PM

By Jerry Plantz

Posted Jan. 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 16, 2013 at 3:05 PM

Lee's Summit, MO

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its annual climate report card, and if you are a climate skeptic then it behooves you to go to the agency’s website and be informed.

Last year was a historic year for extreme weather that included drought, wildfires, hurricanes and storms. However, tornado activity was below average.

2012 was the warmest year on record for the contiguous United States with a record warm spring, the second-warmest summer, the fourth-warmest winter and a warmer-than-average autumn. The average temperature for 2012 was 55.3°F, 3.2°F above the century average, and 1°F above 1998, the previous warmest year.

The average precipitation total for the contiguous United States for 2012 was 26.57 inches, 2.57 inches below average.

Missouri ranked in the top 10 as the one of the warmest, and it had the driest year since 1980.

Globally it gets worse. Most of the world’s ocean surfaces were warmer than average, with record warmth observed in regions of the southeastern and northeastern North Atlantic.

Last week Jerusalem had its worst storm in 20 years, and several days ago in Beijing, China, pollution was so thick it was judged as hazardous to humans.

Rawstory.com says in Hong Kong “cargo ships burning dirty fuel in what is one of the world’s busiest ports add to a foul layer of pollution that kills more than 3,000 people a year. Now the government is vowing to get tough, with activists hoping mandatory restrictions on shipping emissions will be among a raft of measures.”

The national media are culpable, according to Media Matters, as broadcast networks continue to overlook climate control. The Sunday news shows reveal a downward trend since 2009 with nightly news only a slight increase over 2012. Cable TV has also been remiss.

Action begins by contacting our legislators in Jefferson City and Washington as well as the media. We must re-evaluate the destructive use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions and begin a dialogue with world leaders about saving the planet. It is the only one we have.